A Moment like Forever
by AnnieLouise2011
Summary: Josie Sullivan moved to New York hoping to forget what happened in her past. However, a well kept secret turns her future upside down. Josie desperatly wants some stability in her new life; someone to rely on. Eventually FlackOC
1. Prologue

A Moment like Forever

Prologue 

By AnnieLouise2011

_Jo stared at the dead body._

_At the growing pool of blood._

_At the glock held tightly in her hand._

They were only memories, yet Jo found it difficult to forget. Unable to sleep, Josie Sullivan stood and watched as the rain pelted her window. Lighting lit up the dark night sky like it was the July 4th while thunder roared like a wild animal. New York was supposed to be the city of dreams. Yet, Jo was still haunted by her nightmares.

Lighting a cigarette, she inhaled the toxic fumes that were so addictive and pleasurable. Moving boxes filled the apartment, which had yet to be unpacked. There was no sofa, no television, and no dining furniture. Jo had left most of it behind so she could start her new life in the big apple. She wished Chicago would become a distant memory. And wished future memories would be less tormenting than the old.

Sitting on the floor, an ashtray at her side, she began to look through one of the smaller boxes. It was filled with old photographs, torn at the edges and faded from the sunlight. It was like looking into the far past. They were her mother's photographs. Though Jo had never met her mother, who had died giving birth, her grandparents saved all the sentimental objects that they knew Jo would one day want to see. Letters, old toys Helen Sullivan had wanted to pass on and photographs of all the meaningful people in her life.

Letters from her father interested Jo the most. She'd never met him either. But she knew he had known about her. _'I'm sorry you have to go through this by yourself. I wish I had known before I left.' _Many of the letters subtly mentioned her mother's pregnancy. He was a solider or something on that level. Most of the letters were missing and there was not much detail in those she had. He always signed his letters, '_Mackenna'_. It could have been his first name, or his last. But she had made a promise to her grandparents never to go looking. It plagued her not to know.

Everyone had told Jo she inherited all her looks from her mother. Her big sapphire eyes, her chocolate brown locks and fair skin that seemed to never blemish; and never tan, much to Jo's annoyance. She was slim, some people had accused her of being underweight through her teen years, but knowing that Jo had attempted to put on some more weight which happened naturally as she fell into a hectic routine of working as a Doctor.

Snubbing out her cigarette, Jo got to her feet and walked slowly back to her bare bedroom. The walls were a mint green and the floor had a hardwood finish. Her bed for the past few nights had been duvets piled up to create some sort of mattress. It was uncomfortable and cause pains in her neck and back. But she had to deal with it until the bed she had ordered got delivered. Jo couldn't wait to get settled into the apartment.

Jo wanted to be able to call it home.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One - A Fresh Start

By AnnieLouise2011

Dressed head to toe in clothes that made a professional statement, Jo Sullivan stood outside her new workplace. The building was taller the most, with large glass windows on every floor. It was modern, yet with a classical twist of traditional brickwork. It was daunting, to say the least. It seemed as though the building was glowering over her. Jo was not one to accept change easily, but this was something she needed to do. It was a change she was forced to make.

Plucking up the courage, she took the concrete steps one at a time till she reached the large glass doors. People hurried in and out, barely missing her as she took her time to take everything in. Grey tiles coated the walls, light reflecting off them to create the airy atmosphere though most people would see it as a less pleasant place to be. "Excuse me?" Jo asked the receptionist, "Do you know where I could find Dr Hammerback?"

"What's your name?" The raven haired receptionist turned to her computer, ready to type. Her name tag, though it was mostly covered by her sleek glossy hair read 'Sally Jenkins'. A name that rolled off the tongue easily.

"Josie Sullivan. I'm the new Medical examiner. I'm due to meet Dr Hammerback in about ten minutes." Jo watched as those details were typed into the computer at an exceedingly fast rate. The receptionist seemed over-caffeinated. The light energy drink beside the keyboard was Jo's first indication, as well as a half empty pot of coffee stored away beside a shelving unit full of various folders. "He should be expecting me…"

The receptionist looked up briefly, blinked and then returned her eyes to the screen. "Miss Sullivan, if you take a seat on the blue chairs Detective Hawkes will be here in a few moments to show you around. Dr Hammerback was called to testify in court today and was unable to keep his appointment with you."

Jo nodded and said a quiet 'Thank you' to Miss Jenkins before taking a seat on blue cushioned seats which were lined along one wall.

Watching as people rushed past, dropping things off on Sally's desk and rushing past towards the elevators, using their pass cards to operate them, Jo began to feel at home. Jo was a little wary that people would undermine her ability. Only being a qualified Medical Examiner for less than three months, she hated putting up with the stereotypical view that she was not capable to do the job she trained for. It annoyed her even more when people joked about how she wouldn't be able to handle an autopsy.

Thankfully, her previous job was working as an Accident and Emergency Doctor. She'd seen the worst injuries, including bullet wounds, broken limbs, collapsed lungs and various other serious damages. This had prepared her for the move in careers. Jo could admit she had a short temper when it came to dealing with uncooperative people, which was useless when working with patients that were too involved in focusing on pain than helping to answer questions that needed to be asked.

"Josie Sullivan?"

Jo looked up. A dark handsome man was staring at her, a beaming smile on his face and big exotic brown eyes that made her feel welcome. "Eh, yeah. You must be Detective Hawkes?"

"Please, just call me Sheldon. I'm sorry Sid Hammerback was unable to come and show you around. He was looking forward to meeting you." Sheldon led Jo across to the elevator, pressing the button that indicated the basement. "You will be working more closely with him than me, but I will see you around from time to time. I work in the crime lab upstairs."

Letting his words sink in for a a few brief moments, Josie asked, "Not to sound rude, if you work in the crime lab why where you sent to show me around?"

Sheldon chuckled, "I used to be one of the medical examiners myself. So I know my way round better than most." As the elevator doors opened, Jo was greeted by the strong smell of disinfectant. It was overpowering to most people, but she was used to working in this type of environment. It was colder than the reception area. Everything was kept cool to keep the evidence and corpses intact for working cases. "Sid has told me a lot about you. The fact that you've been a doctor impressed him the most. What made you want switch the glamorous A&E position to work alongside forensics?"

"I was never really good at the whole bedside manners thing. I get frustrated easily with people. It's one of my faults."

Sheldon smiled that amazing grin and began to point out key areas in which she would be working. Detective Hawkes also pointed out were key tools and equipment was kept as well as the office in which she could fill in the paperwork which was compulsory to file with every case. He showed her some of the corpses from working cases which had been washed an analysed, pointing out what he thought were the cause of death even if he wasn't working on that particular case. Sheldon was making an effort to make her feel welcome, and Jo appreciated it.

* * *

Unlocking her apartment door while holding several bags of groceries, knowing her cell phone was ringing in her jacket pocket was frustrating. She barely got in through the door before she threw the bags onto the floor and answered the call. Thankfully, it was only her grandfather on the line and not something important to do with her new job. "Hey Papi!"

"Well, don't keep me waiting. How was your day at your new job?"

Jo smiled, closing the apartment door, having to kick a few of the escaped food tins out of the way, "It was okay. Not as bad as I thought it would be anyway. I didn't get to meet the guy I would be working with but this guy who'd been a medical examiner before showed me round. It's not that much different than Chicago."

"That's great Josie! Your Nan is worrying sick about you. I told her not to worry because we both know your capable of going out there to do your own thing now. And we're both very proud of you." Bret Sullivan replied in a loving tone. "Now, how's that apartment? You got anymore unpacked since we last spoke?"

Jo looked round, biting her lip as she thought up a quick white lie. "It's brilliant. There are only a couple of boxes that need unpacking. Most of the furniture is in now. It's looking nice. It's looking more and more like home."

"Good. I'm glad to hear you're getting settled."

Jo smiled triumphantly, "Give Nan my love, and look after yourselves, okay? I gotta get these groceries put in the fridge before they go off." They both said their loving goodbyes, each promising to call in the near future. Jo couldn't help but smile knowing her grandparents were proud of her for persisting to go out and do her own thing. Knowing her grandfather was holding back his worries, Jo knew she needed to prove that this change was a good one, and not a mistake.

She began to pick up the bags and collect whatever groceries had spilled out to the floor, cursing the flimsy paper bags that she had been given. However, she did feel truly independent for the first time in her life; away from family. Living and working through her own merit. It was a breath of fresh air compared to her life in Chicago.

Jo knew she could make something of her life in the city.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think. I know I haven't wrote on here for a long time and I would like to know how I'm doing.**

**Annie x**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – Recognisable

By AnnieLouise2011

"It always smells like death down here!"

Jo looked up from the body she was examining to see who had said the disrespectful statement. It's not that it personally bother Jo, but she knew if a Family was down in the morgue to identify the body of a loved one, they would find it inappropriate and upsetting. The owner of the husky voice was a man. He was tall, had dark short hair and big bright blue eyes. He would have been attractive if only he whipped the screwed scowl from his face.

"Don! You're the only one who saw the suspect; you're going to have to identify him so we can move on with this case. So stop moaning." A tall, sleek curly haired woman who Jo knew as Detective Stella Bonasera chastised the man as if he was a small child. She approached Jo with long strides, her lips curling into a small smile. "I'm sorry to bother you Josie when you're busy, but could we have a look at our victim again? I think Don here may be able to positively identify him to be the suspect of a previous murder."

Jo nodded while taking of her latex gloves. "It sounds like a complicated case."

"It's getting that way" Stella replied with a lengthy sigh. She was frustrated, anyone could tell. She even looked fatigued with dark circles under her eyes and tensed muscles making her almost hunch over as she walked. It was stressful job working as a Crime Scene Investigator.

Josie pulled out the large drawer that contained the victim/suspect they were investigating. The man led on the metal drawer was of medium height. He'd suffered defence wounds in a struggle before death. A cut to his face suggested that whoever had murdered him had a weapon. Sid had said something about the weapon being blunt, which Jo was still trying to understand. She knew there would be a learning curve to her job, but she didn't realize how much knowledge she would have to remember. Thankfully, Sid was a nice man who was willing to lend a hand until she got into the swing of things.

"That's not who I saw." The blue eyed man, who was apparently named Don, had replied to Stella in a mono tone. "The guy I saw was bigger; more muscle."

"Are you sure?" Stella questioned Don who was apparently 100% sure.

Meanwhile, Josie respectfully covered the corpse back up with a white cotton sheet and quietly closed the drawer. She'd learned after working in New York for two weeks never to interrupt a conversation. She'd received a frightening stare from a man named Danny Messer when she interjected an idea of her own relating to their case. It turned out that Jo had been right all along, the murder weapon had been a fully automatic AK-47, not a M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun as Danny had thought. How did she know that? Her grandfather was quite the gunman. An expert, in fact. When he was just a little boy his own father had passed down his knowledge and enthusiasm about shooting, wars and types of guns that have been used in different situations.

"Thanks Josie, we'll get out of your way."

Jo smiled at Stella and quickly replied, "It was no trouble. I hope you catch your guy."

"Well, don't we all." Don whispered, in a slightly harsh tone. The new medical examiner was unsure if he was frustrated, having a bad day or just permanently had a bad attitude towards his work. She hoped it was one of the first thoughts that came into mind instead of the latter option. Taking on a positive attitude, she let the thought lie for now, hoping her next meeting with the tall strange detective was more pleasant.

Stella flashed an apologetic smile Josie's way before rushing after Don to discuss the case in further detail.

"Sorry to disturb you, Sid told me that your case was high priority. This is the report on your victim."

Detective Mac Taylor looked up from his files and forms to look at Josie. He was an older man with strong features. He had bright blue eyes that seemed dull with stress and tension, but a thankful smile graced his lips. He gathered up his papers and placed the aside in a neat pile before getting to his feet. Walking around the desk and towards her, Mac took the manila file that contained the report. "You must be Sid's new protégé?"

Jo nodded, "My name is Josie Sullivan, sir."

Mac scanned Josie's features, which Jo didn't understand. He had confusion written across his features, and an almost threatening scowl gracing his lips. Josie felt awkward. She didn't know how to break the tension, so she simply bowed her head. Thankfully, mac took the hint. Realizing she was beginning to feel awkward under his stare, he looked away and quietly said, "You can call me Mac. Thanks for this, it will help my case move on."

"Eh, no problem." Jo turned to walk out of his office, but as she did she saw his reflection in the glass panel doors. He was watching her again. Was she no trustworthy or up to his standards? Jo quickly left the office and keeping her head down she walked silently to the elevators. Something about that man made her nervous.

However, Mac Taylor had a deep suspicion he recognised the new medical examiner. Those bright blue eyes, luscious brown locks and the fair skin with lightly dotted freckles. Thinking quietly to himself as he put the folder on his already cluttered desk, he remembered something he had long forgotten. Helen Sullivan; the one he used to think of as the love of his life. He could remember every waking moment he had spent with Helen. Mac had been on leave from time with Marines, visiting family and having a small break before being shipped off to Beirut to fight for what he believed in.

Helen had recently moved onto the street he had spent most of his life playing games, riding his bike and enjoying the childhood he had. She was kind-hearted, funny and had an adorable shyness that many people would fail to recognise. Mac didn't believe in love at first sight, but that was the closest he had been to finding it. In the short weeks he had, they fell in love.

Last he had heard from her, Helen was pregnant with his child. When Mac was discharged from his platoon he went to meet his love and the child she would have given birth to. But unfortunately, he found out from her parents she had passed during the strenuous hours of labour. And the child they knew to be a little girl was lost too. Born small and fragile, the child never made it through its first few days. It was that day he had lost everything he had been surviving for. The life he wished he would have once discharged was pulled out from underneath him.

"Mac?" Stella walked into the gentleman's office, seeing his distant stare and worried expression gave her a feeling of uneasiness. "Is everything okay?"

"Do we have records on Josie Sullivan's background?"

Stella frowned, "The new Medical Examiner? Mac, she's reliable, trustworthy and from what I have seen, she's capable of doing the job." Confused and a little wary of Mac's question, Stella added, "Why do you want to see her file?"

Mac sat at his desk, his eyes cast downwards to the files spread out across his desk. He didn't want to tell his colleague about his past, the older man just wanted to see if the new employee was related to the Sullivan's he had once known. She certainly had the same recognisable features that Helen once had. "I like to know who I'm working with."

Stella settled a little, slowly taking a seat in the visitors chair at the other side of Taylor's desk. "From what I've seen she works hard. She moved here from Chicago, just like you did. She was a doctor in accident and emergency until a year ago when she changed her career. That's just from what Sid has told me. If you wanna know more about her, ask him."

Mac nodded. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Shaking her head, Stella replied with a caring tone, "Nope. You had that distant look which has the ability to make me worried. 'Cause if you're worried, then there must be a really big problem." Mac smiled. "I'll leave you alone then. If you need to know about Josie, ask Sid before you go snooping through records. She's a lovely girl."

Stella left the room and Mac didn't hesitate to access the NYPD employee database.

The database was more than just reliable. Every member to join the team, whether it was a detective, officer or Medical examiner had to go through thorough checks. Background information, qualifications, criminal records; it was a way of trying to keep the rogue people who secretly worked for criminals out of the inner operations. But Mac wasn't looking for criminal records, or even qualifications. The older man was interested in Josie Sullivan's past.

He tried to keep the worrying thought which was lingering in the back of his mind out of his direct thoughts. He needed to think clearly, though he was expecting the unexpected.

Skipping the sections of her file that stated her name, date of birth, current address and even previous employers, mac looked to the name of her emergency contacts. It was then the sinking feeling returned to his gut. Jack and Edna Sullivan were listed as immediate family and also as her emergency contacts. Jack and Edna Sullivan he remembered fondly as the people who had expressed their sincere sympathy for the loss of Helen and his child.

Mac Taylor was now begging to think they were not sincere.

Going back to the top of her records, he found her date of birth. She was born early in 1982, the year before he was caught in the Beirut bombings; the year of his last leave while in the service.

Mac wasn't sure what to do next.

Meanwhile, Josie sat in the small office and busied herself sorting files, notes and documents related to her cases into an order. It was a compulsion. When nerves got the better of her, she found any little job she could do to take her mind off what was bothering her. Cleaning, organising, baking; anything separate from what had worried her in the first place.

Jo was exhausted. With trouble sleeping, the stress of a new job and now worrying about why the detective seemed so interested in her, she felt weary. She rubbed her hands over her face, hoping it would liven her senses and help to keep her standing for the last three hours of her shift.

"Are you okay?"

Sid, worry written across his features, slowly entered the office. He placed a hand delicately on Jo's shoulder, wondering if her pale complexion, dark eyes and tensed muscles were the symptoms of some sort of illness.

"I'm fine, Sid. Honestly, just tired."

He took a seat by the side of her and asked, "Are you sleeping okay?"

Jo smiled. Sid reminded her more and more of her Papi back in Chicago. He always acted so proud, sending compliments her way anytime anyone visited the morgue to examine their victim. He'd always be there to ask for help and even came in early to check her reports so any mistakes made would be pointed out and rectified before the superiors got a hold of them. She didn't want to worry him. So thinking on her feet, Josie quickly made up a plausible story. "Not really. I'm still settling in, you know? It's hard getting used to living in a new city."

Sid nodded, though still sceptical of her answer.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three – Attraction 

By AnnieLouise2011

Lights flickered and the faint sound of rain could be heard in the distance. The underground car park was terrifying at the best of times, but even more so when you were alone. Shadows lingered and caused an atmosphere you would only see in movies. Josie hated it. Holding a stack of books in her arms which Sid had told her to look over in her spare time, Josie rushed to her car. Thankfully, she wasn't parked to far from the lift.

With each step she took, her heeled shoes caused a sharp click to echo through the vast space.

Letting her paranoid thoughts get the better of herself, she hurried her pace. But all of a sudden, Josie tripped, dropping her books and documents across the floor. "Damn!" She cursed, getting to her feet. Rubbing of her dusted knees she heard the lift doors opening behind her. And what made the situation worse, it was the detective she had met earlier.

Her bad mood was escalating and she had no patience for the man if he was going to act like he had done in the morgue.

"Hey! Are you okay over there?"

Josie winced as her knee ached, but replied "Eh, yeah. I'm fine, thanks."

Don Flack, the homicide detective jogged up to her and kneeled down to help the trouble girl to pick up her belongings. He seemed friendlier than before, Josie thought to herself. He was smiling ever so slightly, and the tension in his muscles had gone. There must have been a breakthrough in his case, or he was heading home and really relieved to be on down time. Whatever had made him smile, Josie was thankful for it. Not only did she not have to deal with an ass, he also had a charming, attractive look to him when he had a smile on his face.

"You're studying?" Don looked at one of the books intently, crinkling his nose in disgust at some of the images within its pages.

Josie smiled and took it from him, "I'm qualified, but like any job there's a learning curve. Sid's trying to help me."

"It's Josie, right? I'm Don. Don Flack." He held his hand out after they had got to their feet while Josie juggled her books in her arms so she could give him a firm professional handshake in return. "Hey, I'm sorry about before. Stella told me I was…well; that I was a bit of a jerk."

"It was a tough case."

"You have no idea." Don groaned. "So which is your car?"

Josie, quite embarrassed pointed to the side of them. Not only had she fallen directly next to her car with less than four steps to the door, her car was a beaten old wreck. It was 1994 hyundia luntra. The paint was beginning to peel away and the deep red rust was showing through the navy blue paintwork and it was covered in dents, scratches and it was too far gone to be recovered by a good cleaning. "Right here"

Don raised an eyebrow.

"Most of the dents were there when I bought it." Josie defended her car. "It's my first car."

Don walked round one side and examined it carefully. "It's not a bad car, just bad condition. How does it run?" Josie just looked blankly at him. "Good mileage? Economic on fuel?"

"Eh, yeah…?"

Don laughed. He opened the back door so Josie could slide her books onto the back seat. The interior of the car was not as shabby as the exterior. It was upholstered in black suede, and it had a decent stereo system installed. "How can it look that good in here when the outside-"

"Looks like it's been hit by a wrecking ball? My friend Malcolm was trying to modify before I had move here. The interior really needed doing. Cigerette burns in the seats, wires hanging out of the dashboard; it was terrible." Josie ran her hand over the top of the door and smiled faintly, "He said he was gonna sell it on afterwards and we'd split the profits."

Stepping out of her way, Don watched as she closed the car door. She seemed friendly, slightly shy but it sort of made her more desirable. If she was loud, crude or attention seeking like most new employees had done in the past, he would have avoided her like the plague. And that is why Don was never up for having a new person on the team. They were out to prove themselves which made them arrogant, loutish and annoying. "I'm heading out tonight with some of the guys from the lab. You wanna join?"

Josie smiled but shook her head, "I've got those books to look through and hopefully catch up on lost sleep."

"…Think of it as a toast to your first week here. I'll even buy you a drink to help you celebrate."

"Eh, two weeks. I've been here two weeks." Josie said quietly, trying not to laugh at Dons dumbfounded expression.

Don repeated, "Two weeks?"

Josie nodded and let an involuntary giggle escape her lips. "I guess you've been kept out of the loop…?" She didn't want to giggle. In fact, this man was having such an effect on her she felt as though butterflies were going crazy in her stomach. Not by what he was saying, because frankly, he was a typical male who had only actually talked about cars and booze. She didn't really know what else there conversation could have led to, but cars and booze where not particularly in her interest. Then again, Josie had realized she didn't have many interests other than her work. "It sounds great, but I'm gonna have to take a rain check. I promise once I've got this whole balance between work and down time sorted, I'll join you for a few drinks."

"It's been a while since I was turned down." He joked.

Josie shook her head a small grin appearing across her lips, "You never made it clear you were asking me on a date…"

"What if I was?" Don grinned that charming smile of his. Josie couldn't but think that if she was given the opportunity, she would not pass up the chance to stare at that grin all day. And that was just the start of what this man was turning out to be. His eyes, his friendly demeanour, his man's man attitude; It could make any woman weak at the knees.

Josie opened the driver door of her car, ignoring the faint squeak of its unoiled hinges. Giving a purposeful flirtatious smile, she replied, "Maybe some other time."

Meanwhile, in the confines of his office Mac Taylor hesitated as to why he had invited his close friend and colleague in. In all honesty, Mac was indecisive about his findings. He wasn't sure what to do, who to talk to or whether he should let things lie. So as Stella sat down, relaxing into the plush leather visitor's chair, Mac cleared his throat and tried to find the words to explain the situation. Seeing the trouble mac was having, Stella spoke first, "What's up, Mac? Is there something wrong with our case?"

"It's not to do with our work."

"Then what is it? Sinclair?...Reed?"

Mac sighed, "It's to do with Josie Sullivan."

Stella suddenly made the assumption that she understood. She stood from her chair and shoved her long curly locks behind her ears. She was a beautiful woman; long slender body, beautiful feminine features and eyes that you could get lost in. Mac had long realised this. But due to his work ethic, he never took their friendship any further. "Has she been hiding something from us? I mean, I thought Sid would have recognized trouble after Marty-"

"Stella," Mac said calmly, interrupting her mid flow. "Josie Sullivan's mother passed away during labour. Her grandparents have been her guardians ever since."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Mac sat down, looking to his hands on the desk so he didn't have to hold prolonged eye contact with his colleague. "When I was on leave during my time in the marines, I met this beautiful woman named Helen; Helen Sullivan. I thought she was the love of my life, and I guess she was until I was forced to move on and met Clare who I ended up loving just as much. Helen died giving birth. She had been pregnant with my child."

Stella sat herself down, but didn't say a word.

"I was told that the baby hadn't survived past it first few days. Josie looks so much like Helen, I had to check her records."

Finally finding words, Stella asked, "And you found out that Josie was that child?"

Mac nodded, "Jack and Edna Sullivan, Helens parents are listed as Josie's emergency contacts."

Stella nodded. "Okay, so…what are you going to do?" Mac shrugged in response. Though Stella was shocked about the news Mac had told her, she tried to think logically for Mac's sake. "Are you going to explain all this to Josie? I think she deserves to know. You were told your child died. It's not your fault you haven't been there for her since you finished your time in the marines. I'm sure if you knew the truth everything would have been different."

* * *

**Thank you for reading. I'm lovin' the reviews, they give me so much motivation. And I'm glad to know people are enjoying reading this story.**

**Annie x**


	5. Chapter 4

A Moment Like Forever

Chapter Four – Invitations

By AnnieLouise2011

Josie stared at the bright neon post it note which had been stuck to her calendar in the Morgue office. After another night of barely any sleep, her brain was mush and it took her a good few minutes to make sense of it all. Slowly reaching out to the offending note, as if it would bite her, she gently pealed it off Sid's gory 'anatomy of the human body' calendar and lifted it down to her natural eye line. In scruffy, almost childlike writing, the note said _'Friday 25thApril, Four Seasons?'_ and written below was the initials 'DF'.

Josie knew who had snuck into the morgue's office. But why, was the ultimate question. Jo had two very particular opinions about Don Flack after meeting him only twice. He was gorgeous, that was for sure. Don had a well chiselled jaw, bright blue eyes and a burly body structure that could make any girl weak at the knees. But his personality; well it was less of an opinion but more of a muse. His personality was both irritating and annoying, as he had showed in the morgue while on his case with Stella Bonasera. Or he was a gentleman.

Placing the note on the top her latest medical read, Jo was unaware of Sid who had been behind her long enough to read the note himself. "Looks like you have an admirer, Miss Sullivan."

Turning around sharply to face the older man, Josie let out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"You don't sound as pleased as most women would be to receive an invitation from Don." Sid smiled gently and grabbed the folder he had originally entered the office for.

Josie suppressed a laugh before replying, in an amused tone, "You make him out to be a; well, a womanizer."

Sid nodded and laughed himself before leaving the office with no more contribution to the conversation. That had left Josie in a rut. Now not only Don's personality was at question, but also his promiscuity. Ignoring the topic completely, Josie opened her file and began to write down her tasks for the day that needed completing. Mainly paperwork was written on her 'to do' list, though she knew full well that it wouldn't be long before a Victim was brought in and her schedule interrupted - The joys of working in unpredictable job.

Meanwhile, alongside Mac and Danny, Don was combing over a crime scene. His job was completely different to the two other men on the job. He was making notes of witness' statements, findings by the CSI's related to the suspect and information about the scene itself like who owned the area, who worked in the area and why the warehouse door had been left unlocked in the early hours of the morning.

"You know that new girl?"

"Josie?" Danny asked, curious as to where his friend was leading the conversation. "She works in the morgue, right? Dark hair, blue eyes? Looks as though she could do with a few hours on a sunbed before she looked healthy?"

Don rolled his eyes, "Yeah, her."

"What about her?"

Don placed his note pad in the breast pocket of his navy blue blazer alongside his pen and replied, "I asked her to come out with us last night, you know ; to get to know everyone." Mac suddenly became interested in the conversation. While his eyes where focused on a fibre he had found caught on some wire fencing, his ears where intently listening to his colleagues. "She said no."

"You got turned down?" Danny chuckled. "I never thought I would see the day when the almighty Flack couldn't get a date."

"It wasn't meant to be a 'date'. But-"

"But now she's playing hard to get, you're interested, right?" Stella entered the scene after searching the perimeter for any evidence that could help the case. For Mac's sake, Stella thought of quick and efficient way to get the topic off Miss . She could hardly use the 'dating in the workplace' excuse as two of her close colleagues were married with a child, and Don had dated Detective Angell eighteen months ago before grieving over her murder. So that excuse wouldn't work. Thinking on her feet, Stella swiftly added, "Don't you think you should at least settle in before you go scaring her off?"

"I already left her a note this morning. I booked a table at the four seasons in three weeks."

Danny chuckled, "I guess the chase is on then?"

Don nodded, unaware of Mac's intense stare. Holding back everything he would have liked to say, Mac solemnly replied, "I think you should be concentrating on the scene. Both of you."

**Thank you for the support. I do really love writing this story, unfortunately not a lot of time to do it. Thanks for being patient and for leaving me such nice reviews to come back to.  
AnnieLouise xx**


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